Grown-ish Review: Who Gon Stop Me (Season 1 Episode 9)

On Grown-ish Season 1 Episode 9, “Who Gon Stop Me,” the focus is on drug use and abuse among college students, with Vivek as the case study. On the other end, Aaron has contacted the flu, and by the same virtue of proximity and contact, has succeeded in infecting the twins.

Grown-ish resonates with different age groups but mostly young people, largely as a result of its portrayal of real-life situations.

It may seem like many of the stories lack continuity, but that is because episode by episode, an issue or a range of serious issues are tackled with humor and tact. There are lessons to be learned every week and this episode is no exception.

Vivek has been the insecure, awkward kid, who tries very hard to fit in but gets shoved aside often and who rarely got to say much in previous episodes but it is very empathetic that his story is the crux of this episode because it gives an insight into his personality and the motivations for his actions.

He represents many young people trying to find their way through life, craving attention and recognition and trying to escape the woes of their upbringing. That craving can be expressed in many different ways and given the trend in college, which Zoey describes as sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, for someone who is no longer under the tutelage of his parents, the stage is set for anything that makes them feel like they finally belong in the scheme of things.

The episode begins with the murder of a drug dealer, simply named Arturo. Though there is no face shown, the name suggests that the deceased fellow is Latino/Hispanic and it feels somewhat stereotypical, just like associating black people with crime. In reality, drug dealing is a menace that cuts across every segment of society.

However, the fact that the dangers of drug dealing are highlighted is a major plus because given the way drugs are used with reckless abandon, that conversation is entirely welcome.

It is also commendable that there is an attempt to make viewers understand that there is essentially no difference between sniffing cocaine and taking pills because the end products are always the same.

Often times, people who abuse pills do not consider it drug abuse when it really is. As long as it is taken without a prescription, and in unnecessary yet alarming proportions, it is essentially an abuse.

When the news of Arturo’s death is made public, the general perception would have been that he died from drug-related causes, but it turns out he died in the hands of a jealous girlfriend.

The correlation does not seem to balance out with the theme of the lesson. It would have been more aligned with the theme if he died from abusing his own drugs or violence related to drug dealing.

The writers probably chose to go that route to provide a platform that gives Vivek the status of drug king pin, to replace the fallen drug Lord. It may also have been for comic relief, to make light of the situation, since the tone of the narrative is not essentially designed to be dark.

That is probably the reason Arturo’s face is not shown, to ensure that there is no undue attachment and ambiguous sympathy to his person. His death is supposed to convey a message and allow the story advance. It is the news of his death that causes the crack down on drug dealers and subsequently, a deep dive into Vivek’s life.

Another interesting dynamic portrayed in this episode relates to how all the other friends react when Zoey tells them about Vivek’s attack and subsequent hospitalization. They show little or no concern and that is typical of many real-life friendships, not just college based.

At crunch time, everybody is left to survive on their own. Of course, there will always be that friend that sticks around through thick and thin but that is the exception and in this case, Vivek has Zoey.

In another development, Aaron and his flu struggles with the twins brings some humorous mix to all the drug-related craziness.

One aspect that does not really add up, though, is that when they are first shown to have the flu, the twins clearly attribute it to Aaron, even calling him the ‘patient zero’ but by the concluding scene, they are seen asking Aaron how they got the flu, leading to a hilarious replay seen through Aaron’s eyes, tracing the origin of Aaron’s flu to their Dean and subsequently from Aaron to the twins.

It appears they are now questioning how they got the flu, though they initially sounded sure that Aaron was the origin. The question should have been how HE got the flu.

One striking point, though, is how this subject of drugs is made to reflect the positive and negative sides of drug use. It seemed like they were two separate plots, but the writers did a great job of integrating them. For Vivek, drug dealing borders on abuse, but for Aaron and the twins, the only drugs they are seen dealing with are the ‘over the counter’ medications that cure their Influenza. Different strokes for different folks.

The title of this episode is nothing short of brilliant. No better title could have summed up Vivek’s escapades other than ‘Who Gon Stop Me?’ because one would have thought his near-death experience would make him resist drug dealing; rather, he hires an assistant to shadow him so that he is not the target of attacks. He is literally unstoppable and it is unclear how he will end up, given his current drive.

What did you think of this episode of Grown-ish? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Grown-ish airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Freeform.

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